Cigarette



Oct. 13, 1936.

R. Ff MAY CIGARETTE Filed Nov. 7, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet A1 CIGARETTE AFiled Nov. 7; 1954 4 Smets-sheet 2 v CIGARETTE l l Filed Nqv. 7, 1934'sheets-sheet 4 l [W4 2 d 5m a ggz f; l la Patented Oct. 13, 1936CIGARETTE 'Rowland FrankiMay, .Potters Bar, England, as-

:signor ftorFfilterzTips Limited, London, England,

l a company of Great Britain `Application November 7, 1934, Serial No.751,950 In Great Britain Novemberi), 1933 '4 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarettes and is more particularly concernedwith the production of filter tip cigarettes in which the filter tip orequivalent mouthpiece insertion is formed by `transversely xfolding `alength of strip 'ma-teriaI.

The invention has among its objects to provide an improved method of andmeans for producing such filter tips or like insertions whereby filtertips of definite cross-sectional formation may be readily produced atAhigh speed'and, further, to provide a filter tipror like insertionhaving a folded formation requiring the minimum of subsequentcompression for retaining or consolidating Aits circular, orsubstantially circular, cross-section prior to its incorporation in thecigarette or cigarette paper tube or mouthpiece.

According to the present invention, a method of producing filter tips orlike mouthpieces for cigarettes consists in subjecting a length of stripmaterial to the-action of a series of folding devices arrangedsuccessively at right angles, or substantially so, whereby the strip isfolded transversely in stages and the Vfolded strip is positionedlinrelation to the folding device next in series or in a final `receivingchamber.

'I'he 4invention moreover -includes a method of producing filter tips orlike mouthpieces for cigarettes consisting in subjecting lengths ofstrip material to the action `of a plurality of lfolding devicesoperating Asuccessively on each strip in such manner that `each stripVis folded transversely in stages, and `feeding 'a length of thematerial to the rst folding device at each stroke or operation thereofso that more `than o `one ilength 'ofimaterial is :simultaneously sub'-jected toufolding operations and so that at each stroke or operation ofthe folding devices a com- .plete filtertip or1likemouthpiece isproduced.

According to .the invention moreover apparatus for Athe productionof:filter tips orlike mouthpieces comprises a .series of folding devicesarranged successively sat .right yangles to :one another and arranged sothat thefolded formation produced by one folding .device is .positionedin relation ftothefoldingdevice next in series or in a final receivingchamber. The :folding devices may comprise reciprocatable or:oscillatable blades 'co-ioperating'with slots `or 'the"like. The slotsor the `equivalent are "shaped or adapted `to provide reduced orconstrictedinlets thereto to ensure tretention of the ,ffoldedcformationin the slot while the respective folding blade is withdrawn. The blade"of the final folding device may be'mounted .in a smember adapted, finconjunction with the final receiving chamber,

`to provide a more .or less complete bore from which the folded `filterltip formation -is ejected axially by means of a suitable plunger.

The lmeans for :feeding lengths of strip material to lthe folding unitmay operate in such manner that a length of strip material is fed totheffirst foldingdevice at each strokefor operation thereof so that morethan one llength of material `is :subjected to folding operations in thefolding unit at the `same-time. The strip-materialmay befedfcontinuous'ly by-means of feed rollers and maybe cut into successivelengths by means of a quick-actioncutter. The-cutter 4advantageously isa rotary cutter llhaving a Acomconstruction of :apparatus v.inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation corresponding to 4Figure `1^;

vFigure 3 is a section on .the line III-III, Figure 1;

Figure4 isa sectional elevationlof the folding unit nand feed andcut-off mechanism .showing the positions of the `parts atthecommencement of the folding operation :on a strip;

'Figure 5 .is a View similar toVFigure-l showing the :positionslof theparts -attheend of the .first folding operation;

'-Figure 6 `is :anfend elevation on Aan enlarged scale illustrating the4approximate folded formation producedin the arrangement of Figures 1 to5;

Figurel is a View similarto lFigure 4 illustrating a modification; and

Figure l8 is an end elevation fon an enlarged scale illustrating theapproximate foldedforma- `tion produced in the arrangement shown inVFigure '7. Y

In -carrying the invention into effect `accorciing to one embodiment andreferring more partlllfl'ly to Figures 4, `5 'and "6 o'f the Aaccomfropanying diagrammatic drawings, a strip I of material is acted onsuccessively by folding blades 2, 3, 4 whereby the material is foldedupon itself substantially at a middle position in the length at eachoperation. For instance, a length I of material fed from a supply spool(not shown) and cut off by a suitable cutting device 5 is located sothat the midv point in its length is disposed over a transverse slot 6ain a folding unit member 6, into which slot 6a the strip I is folded bymeans of the reciprocatable blade 2. The folded strip I is located inthe slot 6a so that the mid point of its length is opposite a laterallyextending slot 6b of increased width into which the material is foldedby the second reciprocatable blade 3 operating in a plane at rightangles to the blade 2. In the second slot 6b the folded material islocated so that the mid point of its length is disposed opposite a thirdslot 6c of increased width into which the material is folded by thereciprocatable blade 4 disposed parallel with the blade 2 and acting inthe opposite direction thereto, the blade 3 operating when the first andthird blades 2 and 4 are withdrawn. The slot 6c terminates in a tubularreceiving chamber 6d from which the completed folded lter tip formationI a is ejected by means of a plunger 'I into a receiving tube 1c fromwhich it may be delivered into chambers in an intermittently rotatabledrum 8 o-r other carrier or conveyor or into a receiving spoon fortransfer into a cigarette, or such tube Ic itself may be constituted bya spoon whereby the filter tip may be inserted into a cigarette. Theblade 4 may be carried by a member 4c which at its upper end is shapedso that when in the position shown in Figure 5 it provides, inconjunction With the chamber 6d, a more or less complete bore in whichthe folded filter tip formation la is shaped to an approximatelycircular cross-section prior to ejection by the plunger l.

In order to avoid any possibility of the folded material being retractedfrom the slots 6a, 6b,

' vvlic on withdrawal of the respective blades 2, 3,

4, the inlet to each slot is reduced in width or otherwise adapted toform narrow necks 2', 3' and 4', respectively. The material, owing toits natural tendency to expand after passing such neck, is held by saidnarrow necks against return movement during withdrawal of the respectiveblade.

It will be seen, by reference to Figures 4 and 5,A that at the same timeas a. strip I is being folded into the slot 6a by the blade 2, apreviously folded strip located in the slot 6b is folded into the slot6c and thence into the chamber 6d by the blade 4. Similarly, at the sametime as the folded length in the slot 6a is carried into the slot 6b bythe blade 3, the final folded formation in the chamber 6d is ejected bythe plunger 1. Thus, there are always two lengths of material in thecomplete folding unit and. consequently it is possible to feed a stripof material to the first folding device at each stroke or operationthereof and likewise to produce a complete filter tip at each stroke oroperation. Y

The folding blades and the feeding, cutting-off mechanism and ejectingmechanism may be arranged and constructed in any suitable manner.

For example, as shown more particularly in Figures 1., 2 and 3, theblades 2, 3, 4 may be adjustably carried by slides 2a 3a, 4a. The slides2a and 3a are connected by links 2b, 3b respectively to a bell cranklever 9 mounted on a shaft IIJ which is oscillated by means of a crankIIa through a link I Ib and arm Ia, the crank I Ia being mounted on ashaft II disposed parallel with the shaft Ill and carried in bearings inopposite walls of the frame I2. The slide 4a is connected by means of alink 4b to a bell crank lever I3 oscillatable on a pivot I3a, theupwardly extending arm of the lever I3 being connected to an eccentricstrap I4a co-operating with an veccentric I4 on a shaft I5 arranged atright angles to the shaft II and driven therefrom by the co-operatingbevel gears IIc, I5a. The ejecting plunger 'I is connected by atransverse pin Ib to twin eccentric straps I 6a co-operating with twineccentrics I6 mounted on the shaft I5, the plunger I being slidable in afixed guide Il mounted co-axially with the receiving chamber 6d. Thefeed of the strip material to the folding unit is effected by rollersI8, I8a geared together by gears I9, I9a and driven through the gear I9bon the spindle of the lower roller I8a and a gear Ild on the shaft II.The rollers I8, I8a are formed with circumferential slots |81) for theaccommodation of ribs 20a projecting from a fixed guide 20 sothat thematerial is directed positively to the folding unit. The strip materialis guided to the rollers I8, I8a by means of a feed tray 2|.

The cutter 5 which is in the form of a comparatively narrow blade ismounted on a disc 5a carried by a shaft 22 provided with a gear 22ameshing with a gear 23 rotatable on a xed bolt or pin 23a which gear 23in turn meshes with a gear I 5b Von the end of the shaft I5. A fixedblade 24 is arranged to co-operate with the cutter 5 and is carried by asupport 24a. A guide 6e may be arranged to ensure correct positioning ofthe strip material above the slot 6a.

The mechanism described may be driven by means of a gear 25a mounted ona shaft 25 and meshing with a pinion IIe on the shaft II, the gear 25albeing in turn driven by a pinion 26a on a shaft 26 which may beconnected up to a suitable power drive and/or to other mechanism withwhich the apparatus described has to operate in timed relation.

As indicated in Figure 4, the mechanism is timed so that the blade 2engages the length I of strip material practically at the same time asthe cutter 5 severs the length from the continuous strip fed forward bythe rollers I8, Ia.

In a modification as illustrated in Figure 7, the final folding blade 4is arranged to operate in the same direction as the blade 2, therebyproducing a folded formation approximately as shown in Figure 8. In thisarrangement the folded material may be ejected from the third slot bythe action of the third blade into a fixed or moving channel which maybe constituted by the suitably guided paper strip of a continuous rodmachine provided with means for forming spaces in the tobacco fillingfor the reception of the filter tips or with means for subsequentlydepositing lengths of tobacco between the filter tips applied on thepaper strip.

What I claim is:-

1. An apparatus for forming paper wads comprising a block having adownwardly extending recess, a horizontal recess extending from themid-depth of the downwardly extending recess, a vertical recessextending from the mid-portion ofthe horizontal recess, a substantiallycylindrical molding chamber formed as a continuation of said Verticalrecess, plungers cooperating with said recesses to fold and insert asheet of material into the first recess and fold and transferthe sameserially to the molding chamber, a bell-crank lever, a link connectingone end of said lever to the plunger cooperating with the downwardlyextending recess, a link connecting the other end of said lever with theplunger cooperating with the horizontal recess, a shaft for rocking saidlever, and means for transmitting rotary motion from said shaft toreciprocatory motion of the plunger cooperating with said verticalrecess.

2. An apparatus for forming paper wads comprising a block having adownwardly extending recess, a horizontal recess extending from themid-depth of the downwardly extending recess, a vertical recessextending from the mid-portion of the horizontal recess, a substantiallycylindrical molding chamber formed as a continuation of said verticalrecess, plungers cooperating with said recesses to fold and insert asheet of material into the rst recess and fold and transfer the sameserially to the molding chamber, a bell-crank lever, a link connectingone end of said lever to the plunger cooperating with the downwardlyextending recess, a link connecting the other end of said lever with theplunger cooperating with the horizontal recess, a rock shaft carryingsaid bell-crank lever, a rotary shaft, a crank aixed to said rotaryshaft, a crank aflixed to said rock shaft, a link connecting the freeends of said cranks to transfer rotary motion of the rotary shaft intorocking motion of the rock shaft, and means fortransmitting rotarymotion of the rotary shaft to reciprocatory motion of the plungercooperating with the vertical recess.

3. An apparatus for forming paper wads comprising a block having adownwardly extending recess, a horizontal recess extending from themid-depth of the downwardly extending recess,

a Vertical recess extending from the mid-portion of the horizontalrecess, a substantially,y cylindrical molding chamber formed as acontinuation of said vertical recess, plungers cooperating with saidrecesses to fold and insert a sheet of material into, the first recessand fold and transfer the same serially to the molding chamber, abell-crank lever, a link connecting one end of said lever to the plungercooperating with the downwardly extending recess, a link connecting theother end of said lever with the plunger cooperating with the horizontalrecess, a rotary shaft, means for transmitting rotary motion from saidshaft to rockingA motion of said bellcrank, and means for transmittingrotary motion from said shaft `to reciprocatory motion of the plungerassociated with the vertical recess in synchronism with the plunger ofthe downwardly extending recess.

4. An apparatus for forming paper wads comprising a block having adownwardly extending recess, a horizontal recess extending from themid-depth of the downwardly extending recess, a vertical recessextending from the mid-portion of the horizontal recess, a substantiallycylindrical molding chamber formed as a continuation of said verticalrecess, plungers cooperating with said recesses to fold and insert asheet of material into the i'lrst recess and fold and transfer the sameserially to the molding chamber,

means for ejecting the molded formation axially from the moldingchamber, means for effecting simultaneous folding movement of theplungers cooperating with said downwardly extending and Verticalrecesses, and means for effecting simultaneous folding movement of theplunger cooperating with the horizontal recess and ejecting action ofthe ejecting means.

ROWLAND FRANK MAY.

